Office copiers and similar reprographic devices such as duplicators, mimeograph machines, stencil machines, print terminals and even telefax machines are used to produce copies of original input documents which have existed somewhere in analog or digital form. In the analog case, the document usually exists as a piece of paper called the "original", which is put on a platen to make a temporary image of the original from which multiple prints or copies may be generated. A digital document exists as a digital data stream created by digitizing an analog document using an input scanner. The document may also exist as a hybrid of the two as it would be on a CRT display when the image is produced in a digital format, yet is readable in an analog fashion.
In the case of any copy machine, the ultimate objective is to produce a fairly limited number of copies at a relatively slow speed but, quite importantly, with an apparatus that costs dramatically less than a printing press. In attempts to reach this goal, prior copiers and reprographic devices have incorporated such diverse technologies as xerography, ink jet printing, spirit stencil techniques, thermal-dye diffusion imaging, laser recording techniques, among others. To date, however, there does not exist a color copier which is able to produce high-quality color copies at a low enough cost to really satisfy the office copier market. The copiers themselves are very complex machines which are expensive to manufacture and to assemble. Also, many of the prior machines are very service prone which adds to their expense both in terms of maintenance costs and down time. Further, in many cases the prior copiers require special paper which invariably costs more than regular paper and may degrade over time due to exposure to heat or ultraviolet light from the sun or interior lighting.